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Day +40: The chimera that WAS!

Day +40. Wow. What a week! First off, I am extremely thrilled to announce that as of day +28, I am 100% donor (well, my B cells, T cells, and neutrophils are 100% donor), which means that the allo stem cell transplant is working so far! #winning #chimera

Secondly, I’d also like to report that as of today my counts are still on the rise with my hemoblogin being 11.5 g/dL — the highest it’s been since (presumably) summer 2014. Platelets are doing well, neutrophils are stable, all systems go!

Things are progressing quite nicely. That is, except for the mild graft versus host disease (GVHD) that has started in the form of skin rashes on my face and upper body. I thought at first I was breaking out, like a pubescent teenager, with all of these bumps on my face and hairline and then to random spots on my torso. But then they started to itch like narsty mosquito bites and I remembered about the GVHD. I got two creams, one for my face and one for my body, to apply twice daily. I’m really hoping this helps curb the rashes, if anything the itchiness. It’s like chicken pox itchy minus the fever and viciously infectious parts.

My aunt from New York came last week to visit for a few weeks. She’s my mom’s youngest sister and it’s been really great having here. She speaks more English than my mom so having her to help explain things at doctor’s appointments has been super helpful, along with how she tempers my mom’s crazy when I cough or sneeze or basically do anything other than eat or sleep. It also helps that she lives in a major metropolitan area so she’s more equipped to navigate urban areas better than my mom. I’m really grateful that she’s here. 🙂

Over the past two weeks, I’ve been Christmasing like crazy, decorating the apartment with enough holiday cheer to keep it festive but not getting too crazy. Also, Amazon Prime is my best friend. Since I can’t be out in crowded public spaces (more than 4-5 people in one space), I’ve been doing most of my shopping online. I’ve seriously been getting at least one package a day for the past week and a half. Probably not the most eco-conscious way of shopping, but I’m recycling all the packaging materials!

Other things I’ve been getting because Ricky will FaceTime me, say, at Target, to pick up a few things you just can’t quite get online. I’m definitely in the “holiday” spirit, but judiciously and sparingly listening to holiday music. There are still 18 days to Christmas. I hope I don’t lose steam too soon!